Trump on the Dollar: Dismay and Derision

To the Editor:

Re “Trump Has Found Another Thing to Adorn With His Signature: The Cash in Your Wallet” (news article, March 27):

By imposing his signature on users of U.S. dollar bills, something never done by any previous sitting president, Donald Trump again offends basic decency.

I, for one, will donate every dollar bill that is handed to me and carries his signature to organizations that challenge him and his politics. I encourage others to do the same. This is the best way to ensure that his indecent action backfires on him.

Joachim Savelsberg St. Paul, Minn.

To the Editor:

President Trump’s desire to put his signature on American paper currency and his likeness on a new commemorative coin should spur the movement toward a cashless society.

Bill Gottdenker Mountainside, N.J.

To the Editor:

Why not? President Trump has attacked the Capitol, the Constitution, the courts and now the currency.

Seems rather fitting, does it not?

Mike Priaro Calgary, Alberta

To the Editor:

Donald Trump is to be the first sitting president in the history of the United States to have his name on dollar bills. This appeared paradoxical to me at first, and then I realized that it is supremely appropriate. As each of us feels the pinch of the ever decreasing value of our currency, we shall be forever reminded of exactly who caused it.

Sally S. Taylor Mill Valley, Calif.

To the Editor:

Am I correct to assume that the Donald J. Trump signature will appear on all U.S. three-dollar bills?

Nancy Y. Bekavac Washington

Calling All Teens: Are you a teenager with something to say? The New York Times’s Learning Network invites you to write a public-facing letter about an issue that matters to you. The Open Letters Contest runs until April 8.

Innocent Lives Lost in Iran

To the Editor:

In “The War Is Going Better Than You Think” (column, March 25), Bret Stephens attempts to cast the U.S. war on Iran in a positive light by comparing it with the various wars and military operations undertaken by the United States since the 1980s. While he might accurately summarize the lost armaments and military casualties in those conflicts, his failure to recognize, or even mention, the loss of life in Iran caused by the current war is appalling.

Credible accounts of casualties in the war put the number of Iranian civilians killed so far at roughly 1,400 — including hundreds of children. These figures don’t include significant casualties in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.

I am continually shocked by how conservative and Republican political leaders and commentators are able to disregard the human effects of the military actions of the United States and its proxies. This is to say nothing of the failure to achieve the policy objectives allegedly at stake in Iran and other war zones in the region.

Sadly, the Iran war is not going better than most Americans think.

Christopher Rizzo Bronx

The Democrats Need More Than a Brand

To the Editor:

Re “How to Fix the Democratic Party’s Toxic Brand,” by Matthew Yglesias (Opinion guest essay, March 18):

Mr. Yglesias is right that the Democratic brand is underwater. The Republican brand is as well. Both parties could do more to increase their popularity.

But ultimately, the problem that both parties face — and that our country faces — is that two rigid “brands” cannot represent a diverse country of more than 330 million people. Someday, we may see the wisdom in a multiparty system, but in the meantime, both parties would be better off if they embraced their own internal divisions.

If party leaders were willing to allow their existing factions — the Blue Dogs, progressives, the House Freedom Caucus, the Republican Governance Group and so on — to play a meaningful role in Congress, those “sub-brands” could eventually become meaningful to voters.

It wouldn’t matter as much whether the party moved to the left, right or center; candidates could choose the sub-party label that suited them. Voters would have better choices. And we might even begin to defuse the endless us-versus-them two-party battle deepening our national divides.

Alex Tausanovitch Salt Lake City The writer is an advocate for political reform at the nonprofit organization Protect Democracy.

To the Editor:

Finally, a common-sense, insightful article about what Democrats need to do to win elections, particularly in red states.

I have always thought that the goal in elections is to win them. Espousing unpopular positions does not achieve this. One might argue that real leadership means taking unpopular — but perhaps morally justified — positions in order to sway public opinion. As Matthew Yglesias states, this is very hard to do, and even when successful, it is slow. It takes time to change public opinion.

Although much more needs to be done to improve the rights and access of all types of minorities — especially during the Trump administration — perhaps it is time to acknowledge that substantial progress has been made since the 1960s.

As with the ending of unpopular wars, it might be wise to declare publicly that the war for L.G.B.T.Q. rights has been won — while continuing to advance those rights legislatively after winning elections — and to focus instead on issues more popular throughout the nation, such as border security and affordability.

Alan Frazer Haverford, Pa.

Young and Seeking a Job

To the Editor:

Re “Young Degree Holders Are Facing the Grimmest Prospects for Employment in Years” (news article, March 25):

I’m 28, and like the graduates in this article, I’m struggling to gain traction in the job market — after being laid off from a job in advertising. I followed every piece of advice: networked, tailored applications and submitted more than 370 applications. Although I advanced through multiple interview rounds, roles often disappeared or were filled internally, if I heard back at all.

When my unemployment benefits began to run out, I started applying for hourly work. At a grocery store hiring event, more than 1,000 people showed up, the line snaking through the building and out the door. Many looked like former office workers. I was told I’d be contacted after two rounds of interviews. I wasn’t.

I’m now skating by on three part-time jobs: at a pizza shop and a signage shop and as a personal assistant. All have inconsistent hours. None offer stability or a path forward in the field I trained for. A college degree isn’t the guarantee it used to be.

Jesse Hu Jenkinson Los Angeles